


And I'll do better

by flyingisabetterwordforfalling (FlyingFalling)



Category: Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types, Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Babysitting, Bedtime Stories, Canonical Character Death(s), Established Relationship, Family Feels, Father Figures, Fluff and Angst, Grief/Mourning, Internalized Homophobia (hinted at), Loss, M/M, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Parents Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, Past Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-05
Updated: 2016-08-05
Packaged: 2018-07-29 13:28:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,089
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7686271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlyingFalling/pseuds/flyingisabetterwordforfalling
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Out of the corner of his eyes he watched Alec yawn yet another time, by now his son was almost leaning against the doorframe to keep himself on his feet. Robert had asked to visit him and his future son-in-law and of course also the child the two had taken in. His own, oldest son was bone-tired, however too proud to show even the slightest bit of exhaustion, still forcing himself to keep going, to still being there for the little boy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	And I'll do better

**Author's Note:**

> The story was inspired by "Light" by Sleeping At Last, and the title is a quote from that song.

Out of the corner of his eyes he watched Alec yawn yet another time, by now his son was almost leaning against the doorframe to keep himself on his feet. Robert had asked to visit him and his future son-in-law and of course also the child the two had taken in. His own, oldest son was bone-tired, however too proud to show even the slightest bit of exhaustion, still forcing himself to keep going, to still being there for the little boy.

"I've got two... three of my own, I can take care of him, don't you think?", Robert could see the fleeting sorrow in his son's eyes the moment he corrected himself, felt the same. He would always have three children, despite one of them not being with his family anymore.

Instead of a reply Alec simply rolled his eyes, as if he tried to hide an answer behind his reaction. However he smiled mournfully, probably not meant for his father to see. 

"I know. Thank you.", despite his words he seemed to be unable to move, unable to keep his eyes from watching over the slightly babbling boy in his father's arms. As if nothing could be more important than his child, making sure the little one was alright. Robert did not have to know what was going on inside his son's head, he was a father himself and thought almost the same about his own children, even more so now that the little boy in his arms had become his adopted grandchild.

"Go, get some sleep. Magnus wouldn't be happy knowing I'm here and you're going to stay up anyway, I'll take care of Max.", Robert murmured as he eventually turned around to face the crib, rocking the child gently while doing so. He heard Alec's footsteps as he turned away. Being here to take care of his grandson was not the actual reason he had come to visit the three of them, or rather two. Magnus was needed elsewhere for a while, even though he had protested when Alec had shoved him through the Portal, and told him he would be fine for a few days, without finding glitter everywhere in their baby's crib. 

Robert had seen the two of them, their banter and almost smiled when they bid adieu to one another, Alec almost shyly kissing his partner, knowing Robert could see everything, after Magnus had kissed their child's cheek. And just like that, moments after, the warlock had officially appointed Robert as babysitter, at least for the rest of the evening. According to him, Alec had not slept for almost two days straight and it had been Robert's turn to roll his eyes as Alec deadpanned that was the only straight thing about him.  
Still, Robert did not complain, he adored the child just as much as the ones who had decided to adopt him. As much as his entire family. 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.- 

When Alec had finally left, he told his grandson all kinds of stories, just like he had done when Alec had been around his age. His oldest child would not remember after all these years and Robert was slightly glad about it. Thus he told Max Michael about his namesakes. Two people Robert had loved and lost. And as he told him vivid stories about his youngest son, which hurt just as much to tell as the ones about his former parabatai, the child was breathing steadily in and out, fast asleep. As he listened to the sleepy sounds the child made, as he dreamt in his grandfather's arms, Robert told him about the love he had lost and how much he hoped his fathers' bond would not break as soon as theirs had, when he had pushed Michael away, left everything they had ever shared and banished him from his life instead of being there for him when he needed him to be there. 

Robert told the sleeping child their story; a story about a man who had found love when he had been still too young to appreciate it for what it was, thus had mistaken it for kindness, camaraderie. Robert told his grandson, that as the child grew older he had gotten so used to the other boy's presence beside him he did not dare to love him more than he was meant to. More than he was actually allowed, because loving him more was even against their laws. And even years after, as much as he tried, he could not tell his heart to stop caring as deeply about the other boy, not even when he tried and failed to build a wall around his heart.  
Love was important and something you should hold onto as soon as you found it, he whispered as he kissed the boy's brow, it could be gone within moments and even though the boy found love again he still missed the one he lost. After a while Robert stopped, realising what and whom he was thinking about, did not tell the boy the end of the story, had not told Alec about it when he had been barely older than Max now. 

After some time Robert told the child that his fathers' would be there for him, and the rest of his family would be as well. He told him stories about all these people, even though his grandson had been asleep for a long time by then, still kept warm and safe in his arms, as he promised to be there for him should people who were not as understanding, loving as his family ever cause him trouble for having a warlock and a Shadowhunter as his parents, or even having two men as parents.  
When he put him in his crib, and tugged the blanket around his grandchild, he promised him simply to be there if he needed him, should the boy ever need to ask. Even though Robert was content he would not need to, knowing what great parents his son and his future son-in-law were even after such a short time of parenthood. 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.- 

In the morning Robert realized he had not changed the pronouns in his story, about the boy and the person, the other boy, he fell in love with, which he had done when he had first told it to Alec. He decided it did not matter, not anymore, love was love. He had once pushed away two people he deeply cared about for loving another person and Robert intended to never do the same again.


End file.
